You be warned this one gets dark, tag updates are Drug Use and Pregnancy
Slippery Slopes
Over in Mistrals General Hospital Weiss sat on the edge of Oz's bed, only right now it was empty. In her lap was an empty bag, she heard the click of the bathroom door opening and Ozpin came out. His shirt was only half done up, his hair a mess of wet black nest and his jaw unshaved. She rather liked the black beard that was coming in along his jaw and over his lip. With a little styling it could be very sexy, but then she had always liked it when James' beard got long, so perhaps she was bias. "Having trouble?" She asked standing up.
"Can't lift my arms past the middle of my chest." Ozpin said with a grimace. "The sites still haven't healed."
"Well the doctor did give you three months of medication. I think the only reason she's letting you go at all is aside from painkillers, which you can take orally you're well enough to leave. It's just that by going early you're going to be really limited on the things you can and can't do for a while." Weiss walked over and did up the buttons of his shirt. "Fair warning, some of Raven's tribe arrived yesterday and have taken up in the house by ours, they wanted to head out yesterday night but we all agreed to make a plan of for today instead. They are just waiting on me then we are going to… you know."
Oz's head dropped slightly, Weiss's scent of vanilla was soothing. "I wish I could help, once my Aura heals the surgery sites I should be able to fight again." Ozpin said.
"Well I doubt it will be long now. Come on let's go." Weiss said grabbing the last of his things. Some of the nurses gave them a look as they left but overall it was quiet.
Oz and Weiss caught the first available taxi back, as much as the older man stated he could use the exercise Weiss knew he would have struggled. If there was one thing she had learned whilst living with James its was that it was worse and put more strain on him if he overestimated himself and then had no choice but to accept help. Somehow the ex-heiress thought that Ozpin might be in the same boat. No need for him to feel more useless then he probably already did and besides she was eager to get them both home as quick as possible.
By the time of their arrival Ozpin was silently thankful he hadn't insisted on walking back, his chest hurt and the strength he had used up getting out was slowly returning. He still felt awful about it though, here he was not even able to walk a few miles and dependent on others. Still it was better then the alternative, he just wished Ruby and Qrow would be among those who would be awaiting his return.
Weiss carrying the little bag walked side by side with Ozpin until they reached the door. As she opened the door Nora all but came flying through the opening and Weiss had to drop the bag in order to catch the over eager girl. "Slow up, he's still got holes in his chest."
"Sorry!" Nora said with a blush and carefully hugged Oz. "Nice to have you back."
Ozpin smiled and hugged her back. "Nice to be back."
Nora pulled away and looked up at him her eyes going wide. "Wooo~" She leaned up on her toes reaching up with both hands. "So fuzzy!" She played her fingers through his thick beard.
"Ren, help please." Ozpin called out.
Ren appeared and held up a journal. "I've your vaccines planned out for the next year, Qrow gave me copies of all your medical files before he left."
Ozpin groaned, damn Qrow. "That is not what I meant."
"Fluffy, fluffy." Nora appeared hypnotized, as she petted away.
"Nora, you can play with it later. Let him sit down first." Ren said drawing Nora away from Oz.
"You need to grow a beard Ren." Nora said, a huge grin on her face as she imagined it.
Ozpin and Weiss were finally allowed into the house, only for Yang to be the next one to fly down the stairs and interrupted the same way Nora had. "Hi! You're free!" Yang gave Oz a hug.
"With a lot of drugs to continue taking." Ozpin said and Yang helped him over to the sofa. "Speaking of which may I have some water? I get the feeling I'm due for another round."
Weiss put the medical bag on the recently fixed coffee table. "Pain?" She asked rifling through.
"Yup." Ozpin said leaning back into the couch.
Nora appeared by his side again and returned to her playing. Yang stepped up behind him and started massaging his shoulders. Ren reappeared with a cup of water that Weiss took and offered to Oz with his pain medication. He looked them all over, was it him or were they 'hovering'? "Alright what is going on?"
"Weiss may have mentioned you'll need help for a while." Yang said scratching her head sheepishly. "Plus Ruby and Qrow aren't here to dote on you, so we decide to do in their place. We don't want you straining yourself and Lydia mentioned you've a habit of… running before you're able to walk."
"I am going to murder that evil witch." Ozpin grumbled then took his medication. He longed for a shower, or maybe a nice soak in the tub was in order.
"No you're not. That evil witch has been really helpful, she even gave us a jar of your favourite tea." Yang said producing a very familiar looking glass jar, filled to the brim with liquid torment.
"Ohhh defiantly evil witch." Ozpin said as Weiss settled on his free side.
"Building up your harem Oz?" Raven asked coming down the stairs with Vernal in tow.
"I will kill you if you say another word on it." Ozpin glared but couldn't manage his usually intimating self, not with Yang playing with his hair and Nora his beard.
"Hmm, that sounds like fun. To die a little death in your arms." Raven purred hugging herself a flirty cock of her hips. Yang made a face and cringed but remained silent.
"Ugh, oh fuck you Raven. I don't have the energy for this." Ozpin closed his eyes and let himself enjoy the pets.
"Now that's a real shame, otherwise I would love to fuck you." Raven said striding into the room.
"Get in line." Weiss said, sitting up to glare at Raven.
Raven laughed. "Ohh you have no idea what a line it has been."
"Raven." Ozpin growled, he did not like where this was going.
Ignoring him Raven started counting off her fingers as she grew closer to the group. "Lets see. First it was Qrow, then Tai, man that was a night. Then me and Ruby, and whoever else you Dom'd for on the side." Raven grinned as Oz's cheeks darkened and looked at her daughter. "That man has fucked your whole family at one point or another Yang. Well aside from Summer, I never really understood that. Maybe you should get in line as see what the fuss has been about."
Ozpin lurched to his feet. "Are you incapable of keeping your trap shut?"
"What? She has right to know who nearly ended up being her father. I know Tai or Qrow would never have told her." Raven said, ohh she loved riling up Oz. Normally it was so hard to do, Oz had always been so fucking perfect, too above the rest of the world to feel scandalized. This new Ozpin though was easy pickings, especially without Qrow around and after all these years she had so much ammo on the man that she hadn't had a chance to use yet she could write a book about it.
"That would be because we were all bloody drunk! It hardly counts!" Oz snapped.
"Oz sit before you aggravate something." Weiss pulled him back onto the couch with Nora's help.
Yang walked around and glared down at him. "The story. Now."
Ozpin sighed. "End of the year party. I was with Qrow, Summer, Raven and Tai and we all got really drunk. I was celebrating not being their teacher for a bit and showering Qrow with PDA and Tai wanted in on it. Somehow we ended up in a bedroom. Beyond that I don't really remember, I'll be surprised if the other two do but we all woke up in the morning nude, with condoms and lube everywhere. Qrow complained his ass was quite sore as did Tai, so we assumed I did most of the doming. It's not like it was really on purpose."
Weiss giggled. "Wow, Lydia wasn't kidding when she said you used to fuck like a bunny in heat."
That made Raven burst into laughter. "Oh a truer statement has never been spoken."
"What about Summer?" Yang asked.
Ozpin looked her dead in the eye. "Never touched with a ten foot pole. When Ruby, Qrow and I changed my curse. I remembered you sister for several hundred years before she was even born. I avoided Summer like the plague, because I wanted and will always want Ruby. Aside from being a good friend, I wanted nothing to do with her. Even drunk out of my mind, I never went near her. You're father was a very drunken one off, only happened once. It's wasn't at all like what Raven would have you believe. We were all just good friends, that occasionally got drunk together and besides, it Raven was who fucked Summer."
It was Raven's turn to blush but she recovered quickly. "Well Tai was busy getting buggered by you. Qrow never looked at her twice, I didn't want her to be lonely."
Yang was massaging her temples. "Why is it by the time my partners were my age they were already having orgies?"
"Cause their school didn't get over-run with Grimm." Ozpin said. "I have an outstanding bet with Bart that you, Weiss and Blake would have gotten together within two years. I mean co-ed dorms with all legal adult students? There's a reason why Huntress's get government covered birth control when they hit sixteen. You know, before they get to an Academy."
"What was Bart's bet?" Nora asked.
"Yang, Blake and Sun. Though given how things have gone, I think he's gonna win." Ozpin said.
Yang's brain looked like it had fried a little. It was filled with Blake and Sun, she couldn't deny that she took after her father in preferences but Blake wasn't here and there was no certainty that she would ever see her again. Still seeing blake between her and the sunny monkey with the fab abs, she turned and flopped into the couch, heat colouring her cheeks. Nora leaned over and poked Yang in the arm. "I think you broke her Oz."
Ozpin chuckled. "Come here Yang."
Yang peeled herself off the couch and slid over, Oz leaned over and whispered into her ear. Raven glared, she didn't like how Oz had turned this conversation on her. She watched her daughter's cheeks flush even more and her eyes dilate. What was Oz saying?
"Oh. My Gods." Yang said and looked over to Weiss. "I must see these pictures, please tell me you've got copies."
"Ohh, he told you about James?" Weiss said grinning.
"Uh huh." Yang's brain was fried.
"Yeah I got copies." Weiss said and Yang pounced. "Share!"
Raven scowled at the antics. "Enough. We're all here and I for one would like to get going before nightfall."
The mood in the room deflated. "Right okay." Yang got up and called out. "Jaune come on we're going."
Jaune came down the stairs and the everyone grabbed their weapons and moved towards the door. Weiss kissed Oz's cheek. "Don't get into any trouble while we are gone."
"You know me and trouble." Oz said smirking.
"Which is why I'm already worried." Weiss said, everyone else on good terms with Oz waved their goodbyes and he was left alone. Though not for very long.
Garrett appeared on the sofa opposite to him, only the thief's clothing had changed. He wore high black boots and red jeans, with a single belt wrapped around each thigh. The belt featured a skull theme and he had buckle wraps around his waist, and he wore a black, gauntlet shaped gloves with three buckled straps on each one. His coat a deeper red with two coattails, a pronounced buckled collar. A black strap going over his right shoulder wrapped around his chest, with two golden studs on the front. The front of the coat was also patterned individually from the rest of it, resembling a sort of body armor, with a zipper closed all the way up from the waist to the bottom to his neck. His posture was completely relaxed one ankle over the other and his arms stretched out over the back of the sofa.
"What are you wearing?" Ozpin asked, he also noticed that Garrett was taller then before, closer to his own height. "Why have you changed?"
Garrett stepped onto the table and leaned over with a purr, flicking his tongue out with a click. "Cause we're closer. Come on we've got work to do and the privacy to do it."
Ozpin hauled his sorry bone bag off the sofa. "You know, you're still a pain my ass. Where is my cloak?"
"You know coats are better right?" Garrett said leaning against the door as Ozpin yanked open the closet and grabbed his cloak.
"It was a gift. Shit." He glared at it, just realizing he wouldn't be able to get it over his shoulders.
"Hence coats." Garrett said.
"Don't think that you'll ever get me to wear anything like you are wearing. Way too flamboyant." Ozpin hummed and spun the cloak catching the edge over his neck then quickly pulled it down clipping into into his shirt. "Ha!"
"Congrats! You put a cloak on now let's go, we need to hit up a library. I have an idea or two about where the Crown probably is, but we need to find a map." Garrett said getting up off the wall as they headed outside.
"Haven would be best then. It has all those types of records." Ozpin closed the door behind them.
"Sounds like a plan." Garrett mused pretending to admire the city as they walked up the road. He licked his lips watching Oz from his edge of his view, not too much longer how. Bit by bit he'd win this war, fuck Berath.
By the time they got to Haven's library Ozpin was exhausted. He wasted no time flopping into a chair his chest aching deeply. "Oww." He groaned. "I should have brought the pain meds."
"No, you would have overdosed." Garrett said walking through the stacks.
"How can you even see anything if I'm not looking at it?" Ozpin asked.
"Just goes to show how little you understand." Garrett said, touching a book for a long minute before moving to the next one.
"Care to explain?" Ozpin said.
"No, that would spoil my fun." Garrett said and tapped a book. "Get over here, I need to look into this one."
Ozpin hauled himself out of the chair and walked over and pulled the aged book from the shelf. He flipped it open, Garrett moved behind him and slid his arms over Ozpin's shoulders, pressing his body to Oz's. "Hmm oh we are going to have so much fun. " He purred, nipping Oz's ear then tracing his tongue over the shell.
"Do you mind? What are we even looking at." Ozpin asked looking at the mess of lines.
"The city plans for Mistral, the original ones." Garrett purred.
"And how did you find this so fast?" Oz asked, flipping a page.
"Trade secret." Garrett's hands tightened in Oz's shirt. "Look at the rest, then we'll move on."
Ozpin flipped through the rest, none of it meant anything to him. A school he could design, a whole city was beyond him.
"Oh my!"
Oz's snapped the book shut and his gaze snapped over to none other the Leonardo Lionheart. He put the book back on the self as Leo stuttered. "W-who are you?"
Your worst nightmare you traitor. Ozpin thought and pursed his lips, quelling the urge to turn Leo into a pretzel.
"Ohh let me fuck with him." Garrett purred, still leaning in a very flirty manner on Oz. "I can use the Glyphs, outside of when they typically let us. Here I think they'd appreciate the fun."
"Sure, scare the crap out of him." Ozpin didn't see the harm and let Garrett drive. His eyes turned a stone grey. "Who me? I'm not even here." He leaned out and touched the book case, black shadows oozed out of his hand, from his shadow upon the floor. They raced out consuming everything around him into a dark blacked space, eating up the room and its very light.
The look of terror on Leo's face was priceless. Garrett advanced, the key Glyph upon the back of his hand glowed. "I'm just your sins come to haunt you." The black consumed Oz, his clothes and features changing as The Keeper stepped forward. "And you have been found wanting." He stretched hand out and black tendrils fired at Leo.
The Faunus screamed and ran, the Keeper followed, black ooze changing his cloak to a trench coat, a claymore forming on his back. The black shadows swallowed the library and when Leo pulled on the black doors they didn't even budge.
"You're terrified of Salem? Well she's not the one you should be fearing." He reached out with a black hand and seized Leo by the forehead.
He pushed through Leo's memories till he found him sharing a cup of tea with Watts. He dropped the whimpering Faunus and the headmaster fell to the ground. Ozpin warred with the feelings of betrayal and disgust. His hands twitched as hate poured through him, how many dead Huntsmen were on Leo's hands? He lifted a hand, white glowing needles growing out of his finger tips.
"Don't." Garrett said. "Scaring him is one thing, killing is another. As much as he deserves it, the Glyphs have a pretty personal beef when their power is abused. Who's got all the power here? Not him, he can't do anything to us. More importantly he can't do anything to the Glyphs, the Sentients. If you want to kill him later, by all means have fun. But we can't do it with their power. Come on, he's already pissed his pants lets go."
Ozpin took a step away the Keeper's features still hiding him. "You're not worth it." He turned away and walked towards a wall.
"I call this one Shadow Step. If you'll allow me." Garrett took control and they walked straight into the shadow and emerged onto a dirty street.
"Where are we?" Ozpin asked.
"Not far from Delver's Row." Garrett said, sliding up to Oz's body easing his hands over the surgery sites.
Pain lashed through Oz and he grit his teeth. "And we are here why?"
"You're getting tired of your Aura being weak? Of being in pain? I happen to know a… substance that can help." Garrett purred leaning up to nip Oz's ear.
"There isn't anything that can help." He could feel Garrett's soul twisting in him, saturating him.
"See that's where you are wrong. It's called Refuge." Garrett purred. "It's made out of spirit residue, rare but far from impossible to get your hands on. It gives your Aura quite the kick, not so good going into a battle but coming out of it. It can make all the difference." His tongue flicked over Oz's ear. "I know it's sold here, I even know a nice private place where you can try it."
"I'm not trying a…" Oz felt strange, he couldn't feel his fingertips.
"That's it, just let me drive. Spare yourself the pain, just for a little while." Garrett loved this, patience always paid off and right now there was no Qrow or Ruby to steal this from him. This was his moment.
"Okay." Ozpin's eyes slid shut and they opened again a grey.
Garrett pulled his cloak tight around him and set off into Delvers' Row. It had taken him a while to find the place, extending his awareness out while Ozpin slept, but now that the Crown was linked up. Well it made findings things much easier. The channels of open water on either side of the walkway reflected the light, he came to a fork in the tunnels but he already had his target in sights. A wrinkly old man had a small shop set up against the wall. He wore dark brown clothing and people frequently stopped making quick purchases and moving on.
He walked up and quickly scanned over the products.
The man smiled. "Ah a Huntsmen, don't see many of you around anymore. I have Whiteleaf, Svef, I even have some Carow Golan if you're looking for something that will give you more a kick in a fight."
"Do you have Refuge?" Garrett asked.
"Expensive request, might I ask why? Your Aura not performing like it once was?" He said with a smile.
"Something like that. I'd like two vials, if your product is good." Garrett said.
The man chuckled and turned to his stall and fetched a key out of a pocket. He opened a lock box and pulled out a thin vial of purple liquid, he offered it to Garrett. The former thief held it up to a light and turned it back and forth studying the liquid. Satisfied he pulled the stopper out and dabbled a small amount on his finger then put the liquid on tongue. He could feel the magic in it. "It's good." He put the cork back in and pulled out Oz's wallet, and offered the correct amount of Lien. "Two please and a needle."
The man grinned and took the Lien and handed the two items over. Garrett slipped them into a pocket and merged back into the crowds, waving through the throng of people. He just barely resisted the urge to slip his quick hands through their pockets but could not afford for Ozpin to take notice and kept his head low. Lights coming from one of the buildings on the left would serve his purpose as Garrett changed direction and entered the inn.
Smoke curled in the air and he could smell the scent of Whiteleaf and whiskey. Booths were filled with people taking any number of things and drinking, or fucking. Garrett walked over to the bar and held out yet more Lien. "A room for a few hours. With key."
"You're new, trying something?" The woman behind the counter said.
"None of your business." Garrett said and she ran up his request and gave him the key.
He got to the room and the door locked behind him before Ozpin gathered his strength and pushed back into control. "I am not taking that crap!" The room small and dirty, with little more that a beat up bed.
Garrett sighed, man this would have been easier if he managed to take a shot before Oz assumed control again. "Look, it's not crap. It's magic, I'll let you in a little secret. Your soul or Aura is powered by soul essence. You noticed you had more magic then before we changed the curse, that is because now when you die you travel the In-Between for a bit. This gives your soul an opportunity to absorb soul essence without the mortal coil getting in the way." They say and Garrett slid over to lean on Oz and taking the man's hands within his own. "Refuge is just like that, only it can be taken while you're alive." He pulled on the vials out of Oz's pockets and the needle.
Ozpin looked down at his hands, the needle and vial.
"You hate this weakness. You can't fight, you couldn't protect yourself. Now you're worse then useless… just try it. Let it take the pain away, let it fix you so you can fight again." Garrett purred into Oz's ear, he had just enough control to get Oz to remove his cloak and shirt. Pull his belt off and pull it tight around his left bicep.
"No." Though the fight was gone from his voice. He could feel Garrett using his body, the cap off the needle, cork off the vial. His hands moved of their own accord as Garrett pulled ten milliliters of the purple liquid into the needle. He capped the vial and set it aside.
Ozpin's hand hovered over the needle. "This is wrong."
"Says who? We're all alone, just you and me. And the path to being useful again is going to be too slow. Come on Oz, just once aren't you curious? You've tried so many different ways to fuck. Why not try something new? Something that will fix you." Garrett guided Oz's hand to pick up the needle again, bring it to the vein standing out in his left arm.
Oz's hand shook, he so wanted to be healed to be pretty again. No this useless, battered, scared disgusting… His took a shaky breath and Garrett's hand closed over his, guiding the needle into his skin, pushing the plunger down. Oz couldn't help but watch the purple liquid vanish into him. Garrett withdrew the needle and capped it again, then yanked the belt off Oz's arm and pressed down on the site.
Garrett backed away as Oz fell happy back into the bed. "Oh Gods." Oz's breathing was slow and deep, he left like he was floating no pain, when was the last time he hadn't been in pain? Garrett watched smugly as his eyes dilated. "F..u..ck." Ozpin slurred he could feel his Aura rising, healing him. There was more to it then that though, it felt so good…
Garrett moved over him, petting through his hair. "Told you it would help. The high is really just a side effect. Something to get you really into it." He licked his lips. "You know I can say whatever I want right now. You won't remember any of it when you wake up." Garrett chuckled. "Fucking with your memories, has made this easier then normal. Heck if you hadn't had Ruby to help you before, I bet I could have driven you mad well before this point. So much pain. Not even you, can live through it all. You hid it well from Lydia, but part of you just wants to die, to trade in for the next model, a fresh, clean, your usual drop dead handsome self. Thing is. I can't have you doing that, my mistake when I changed your curse. You always revert to being you again. Which makes my job, much harder. Having to snap your sanity every time, work in under your shielding and into your mind. It's just such a pain. This time though… hehe you've made it easy. You put yourself through so much and you forget you're still only human. That even you have your breaking point. I can't wait till we get there, I sooo look forward to being Dante again. You and me, and the devil makes three love." Garrett bent down and kissed Oz's cheek. "Enjoy your high, I intend to make use of the absence of your lovers to its fullest."
Weiss ducked behind a pillar as bullets flew in every direction. "This is insane!"
Ren ducked out of cover and shot a few bandits. "Agreed."
They were in a crack in the mountain of Mistral, it was near two hundred meters deep and that again high, the walls were lined with shops and balconies. This was supposed to be a first step, mapping out all the potential defensible areas 'before' starting a fight. Only problem was they must have known they were about to have company as bandits from the Penndurn tribe flooded from the buildings to shoot at them before they had a chance to gain any ground.
Raven raced past them, jumping up onto one balcony slaughtering three bandits before running up the side of the wall and leaping to another balcony to repeat the process. Vernal was heading the charge on the ground floor. Shooting and hacking people to pieces with her chakram. The close quarters were giving Weiss trouble as she didn't want to kill anyone.
Nora, Yang and Jaune were following Vernal, measuring themselves to make sure they didn't kill anyone.
"Forward!" Raven yelled.
Over a dozen Branwen tribe members pushed into the camp, killing those the Huntsmen incapacitated.
"Teams RWBY and JRN to me!" Raven shouted as she dashed into a side passage.
The teams followed, only to have to duck and press themselves to the walls as gatling gun fire raided down the space.
Weiss looked over at Yang who nodded. With a flick of her fingers she covered the wall in white glyphs leading to the gunner. Yang jumped on them and raced across the rough surface punching out the bandit.
"Good Yang! Push!" Raven yelled and they charged down through a doorway. Gun fire rained down as they pushed into a large well lit room. Raven killed all four guards in under thirty seconds.
A old man with dark skin sat in a chair his legs clearly useless. "So the Branwen's are finally making a move." He lifted his chin defiant. "Get this over with Raven. I will not beg for my life."
Yang stepped forward but her mother already cut the man's head cleanly off. "Why are you killing them?!"
"What did you expect Yang? That we would stop them, take over this turf and they would run back with tails between their legs. That's both naive and stupid of you." Raven said flicking the blood off of her odachi and scabbarding it.
"But you're taking lives." Yang gestured at the bloody ground. "How is this necessary?"
"If you keep thinking like that you'll not last long in this world. If you don't grow up- . . . People aren't going to stop because you ask them to, you have to make them." A dying man in the corner let out a gurgling sound as he slowly choked to death on his own blood. "If you really want to show someone mercy . . ." Quickly and before her daughter could stop her Raven walked over and stabbed him through the heart. "Give them a quick and clean death. It won't be a luxury they will bestow upon you if you don't."
"How could you do that?!" Yang shouted, the rest of the teams were equally horrified.
"If I hadn't they would have only come back." Raven stepped away from the corpses and out of the room meeting Vernal in the corridor. The two women started out but once there was a lag in ears the younger of the two took Raven's hand in hers.
Vernal said. "Why do you do that? If she cannot accept our way of life then she is not worthy of her heritage."
"Vernal, shut up."
The curt tone was not tone she used on the younger woman often but it was just as sharp as always. "Yes Mam'."
Softening her voice Raven curled a hand over Vernal's face, wiping at the smudge of blood that tarnished her skin. "If Yang doesn't see the world as it is soon, if she chooses to stand in our way . . . then I'll have to cut her down like all the rest."
Ruby lurched awake and dashed out of the tent, a quick rose petal burst brought her to the edge of the camp. Her stomach rebelled and she vomited, fortunately there wasn't much left in her stomach. She leaned against a tree, that was the second time that week. She had tried some of the tribes own ale last night and the time before it had been a berry dish with some fruits she had never even heard of before. Ruby spat trying to clear her mouth of the taste. She really had to stop trying all the things the kinder people of the tribe were giving her.
Hands brush over her hair, she knew them instantly and relaxed her head back with a sigh. "Sorry did I wake you?"
"Never apologize for that." Qrow said and pulled out his flask. "Just water, I swapped it out last time this happened."
"Thank you." Ruby took it and had a large swallow of water, it was not even dawn yet and the cold was growing crisp.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Qrow asked as she gave him back his flask.
"Yeah, it always passes." She shivered. "Let's get back, I want some more sleep before everyone starts making noise."
Sadily for Ruby, after they returned to their tent and snuggled down for a hour Hawk decided to barge in on them, at the crack of dawn barely lit the sky overhead. "Up!"
Qrow lurched away grabbing at the blankets to cover Ruby and himself. "What the fuck! Get out!"
"It's nothing I haven't seen before Qrow." Hawk said annoyed.
Ruby tried to cover her breasts, while Qrow yelled again. "Out!"
"Hurry up, pack your things." Hawk left the curtain falling behind her.
"Control freak bitch." Qrow set and set about getting up, grabbing a pair of pants and pulling them on.
"That's one way to put it. Can't she knock or something?" Ruby pulled herself out of bed and yawned.
"Ha, fat chance of that ever happening." Qrow said pull a shirt on, he sighed he missed his cape.
"Can you help me with this? I'm so tired still." Ruby had put her skirt and shirt on but was struggling to lace her corset.
Qrow shoved the last of his things into his bag and walked over, then knelt beside her and helped her lace up. "You know Oz got you those bras, why do you always insist on wearing this thing?"
"I don't really like bras, this does the job better and in comfier and warmer." Ruby said pulling her leggings on as he worked.
"Given that the bra got invented…"
"Alright! Stop being a smartass, it's way too early for it."
"Sorry. Mom just puts me in a mood. Let's get your stuff packed, I've got a feeling we are about to be sent somewhere. There is no way mother wouldn't find a way to show you off."
They packed their things up and shouldered their packs. Hawk was pacing back and forth in the living area while Falcon was sitting sipping tea watching his son and his lover walk towards them. "We have a job for you two. Hawk will however be accompanying you." He nodded to two heavy saddlebags sitting upon the table. "With winter closing in the passes up north will start to close. Before that happens, we need to have this years tribute to the Mabino delivered. You three will do so. We are paying in Lien this year and three riders will draw less attention and Grimm then a party. It's a three week journey, I've already had horses tacked and supplied for you."
"Why send us?" Qrow asked.
"Given your Semblance… well I recall having you in the camp for long periods of time was not . . . Beneficial. This gives you and Ruby something to do, away from camp and lets you use your skills as Huntsman and Huntress. Hawk will be going with because a head of our tribe has to go." Falcon said.
"Private time? Well minus your mom, maybe if we have lots of sex she'll stop listening. Anyway count me in. I don't think I've ever eaten so many nuts, I'm getting tired of the gifts." Ruby sent to Qrow.
"Fine. If only to get away from for a while." Qrow grabbed one of the saddle bags from the table and headed out of the tent Ruby on his heels
Hawk grabbed the other, then leaned down and kissed Falcon's cheek. "Don't have too much fun without me."
"Never love." Falcon lifted his head and they shared a kiss.
Hawk departed the tent to find Qrow putting one of the saddlebags on a big black stallion. "Kebeth is mine. You two are on Goldy."
Qrow frowned in confusion then spun on the spot, spying the middle aged chestnut stallion he had dismissed before because he hadn't recognized it. "That's Goldy?" Awe crept into his voice, he took a few hesitant steps towards the brown horse.
Goldy looked at him with a blue eye, he hadn't forgotten. Qrow reached out to stand before the horse and Goldy tossed his head back hitting Qrow in the chest, knocking him flat onto his back. "Ohh oww. Yup that's definitely Goldy."
"I'm sensing a story here?" Ruby asked as the horse huffed clearly annoyed with Qrow.
"He was my horse." Qrow said picking himself up of the ground. "I thought he died years ago. He never let anyone else ride him."
"He's been a lead for the carriages, he's still strong and stubborn and down right foul tempered. No one has ridden him since you left." Hawk put the second saddle bag behind Goldy's saddle, then mounted her own horse.
Qrow couldn't help but be touched. Goldy was middle aged and a picky horse yet his mom had kept him, he didn't believe her when she said only kept him because was still strong. "Thank you mother."
"Just hurry up and get reacquainted and introduce Ruby to him." Hawk said, clicking her tongue and setting off.
Qrow and Goldy stared each other down. "I'm sorry." Qrow said and Goldy huffed shaking his mane. "I know, but to be fair I was on a completely different continent."
Goldy stomped a hoof.
"Alright, fine I still could have come and got you. Though I am not sure what Tai would have done with a horse but I am sure he would have found something. Probably would have been good for Ruby and Yang to learn how to ride." Qrow mused, then his face lit up and patted his pockets down and pulled out a milk bar. He carefully offered it to Goldy. "A peace offering?"
Goldy thought it over and then took the bar from Qrow's hand munching on it. Qrow gestured for Ruby to come over. "Goldy this is Ruby, she's… very special to me. As you can probably smell."
Ruby pulled a milk bar out of her pocket and stood beside Qrow offering it to the huge horse. "Hello, I hope we shall be good friends." Goldy sniffed her fingers then ate that bar too. Letting Ruby pet his velvety nose. "I like him."
"Good." Qrow took Ruby's bag from her and walked around to the horses side, putting both bags behind the saddle then vaulted into it. There was no saddle horn or reins. "Come on then." Qrow leaned down and offered Ruby his hand. "Let's get you up here tiny."
Ruby couldn't help but shrink away a little. "He's huge."
"Well yea, he's a Destrier, like the horses the knights in your stories would ride. He was mixed with a Shire horse, hence the hugeness. I got him as a foal when I was thirteen and mother said if I could train him. I could have him. It was excellent motivation." Qrow said as Ruby took his hand.
"Aren't Destriers a type of horse not a breed?" Ruby said as Qrow pulled her into the saddle in front of him.
"Yeah, I trained him as a war horse. You wouldn't believe how many Grimm I've killed riding this guy." Qrow squeezed gently with his legs and tapped with is right ankle. Goldy turned to the left and set off through the camp.
"Is that why he has no reins or bridle?" Ruby asked grabbing Goldy's mane. He felt massive under her and the saddle was much thinner then she was used too. She could feel his muscles moving and his body heat.
"Yup, I give all the commands with my legs. It's partly why no one else rides him, it's not a popular style anymore. The other reason is he's always tried taking the fingers of anyone but mine off." Qrow set a hand around Ruby's waist. "We'll have to teach you to ride, you're like a sack of potatoes in the saddle."
"I'd like to learn." Ruby said, she watched the tribe folk stare up at them with awe. She guessed Hawk wasn't kidding when she said no one but Qrow rode Goldy.
They came upon the woman in question as she waited by the camp edge. She had a smile on her face as she shamelessly eavesdropped on their conversation. "Good, traveling alone will be the perfect time. Come let's get going."
Ozpin woke slowly and groaned, putting a hand to his head. He felt better, though the pain was creeping in on him again. He pushed himself upright and looked down at the bed, the needle and vial stared back at him. "Oh Gods, what have I done." Oz grabbed at his hair and stood.
"Made yourself heal." Garrett said appearing. "Don't you feel better? Can't you breathe easier?"
Ozpin took a deep breath and while it hurt, he couldn't deny what the thief said. "Not fixed though."
"Of course your not, it was a small dose. You'll get probably five more out of those vials, less if you up to a more average dose." Garrett said.
Ozpin pulled out his Scroll, his brow shot up. He'd been asleep for hours, he grabbed the needle and vial and stuffed them into a pocket. A quick search found all his Lien where it was supposed to be. "Get me home now. Do that Shadow Step thing!"
"As you wish." Garrett assumed control, unlocked the door to the room and tossed the key on the bed. Then stepped into a shadow then out into Oz's bedroom, Oz shoved the thief away, he could hear the teams coming into the house. He raced over to the bedside table and pulled out the vials and needle. He opened the top draw and stashed them at the back, before softly closing it again and pulling off his boots, putting them by the door and his cloak overtop. He pulled off his clothes and quickly as he could, discarding them then getting into bed and pulling the duvet over him. The last thing he needed was for Weiss or someone to guess he had been out. He closed his eyes and found that he almost instantly fell asleep again.
Which was exactly how Weiss found Oz shortly after, out cold, his head pressed into Qrow's pillow and breathing deeply. She set Myrtenaster aside and walked quietly over. "Hey Oz~. Wake up, I'm sure you are in want of an shower and Ren as started on dinner downstairs." She walked over and petted through his hair, he looked so worn out and tired.
Ozpin woke slowly, his chest ached and his neck body was all locked up, it was hard to breath. "Can't move…"
"Oh! Be right back." Weiss ran down the stairs and returned a moment later with water and a painkiller. She helped him sit up and take it. "Sorry we didn't get back earlier."
"It's fine, fell asleep not long after you left." Ozpin sat up slowly with Weiss's help.
"That's good." Weiss said moving away from him as he took the medication.
Ozpin said leaning heavily on his arms. "Weiss… why is it you're the one helping me? I figured Yang or Ren would volunteer."
"We kinda all did. So we've decided to split up. Ren and Nora are in charge of feeding you, once you're healed from this Ren's got a list of vaccines to give you. Yang is gonna help you around the house and I volunteered to help with dressing and bathing. James had his prosthetics upgraded so I have the most experience." Weiss undid his belt and they worked together to get the clothes off. "Just how much mobility do you still lack?"
"That's good for him. Right now I get tired just walking at the drop of a hat." Ozpin lifted his hands and got to the middle of his abs before stopping. "Any higher hurts. I imagine I'll be able to get at least sweat pants on without aid."
"Okay, that will make some of this easier. How about you hit the shower and call me when you need your hair done?" Weiss asked.
"Sounds like a plan." Ozpin said and carefully stood making is way over to the bathroom.
Weiss couldn't help but admire his butt, but he did look skinny, more so then the last time she had seen him. She gathered up the clothes as she heard the shower start to run and tossed them into the hamper. She's add his laundry to her loads, that would be easiest till he could do it himself.
Ozpin turned the water on and stepped under it, thinking over what they had said. They had split up looking after him, because he couldn't do it himself. He clenched his firt in desperate of the agony the action caused, what a sorry state he was in, his old students having to care of him. He was supposed to be the one protecting them, he was Fucking Ozpin one of the most powerful people on the planet! Yet he couldn't even wash his own hair!
Oz grabbed at his left arm, looking down at it. There was no evidence of the needle, it had completely healed. He rubbed the spot with his thumb, the… Refuge had helped and he felt better then he had in a long time. If he took it before bed, no one would know. He's sleep off the high and no one would be any wiser. Not like Qrow and Ruby were here to catch him.
God's no! What was he thinking!? Qrow and Ruby would be so disappointed in him. Going to something like Refuge for help. Anger flashed through him. What right would Qrow have to judge him? The bird had been a alcoholic for most of his life! Ruby… Ruby would be sad for him, she'd try to take it away. Make him heal slowly and normally, make him useless and weak again. What good was he to them anyway?! They had no issues fucking Hazel and Watts, letting them be used for the pleasure of another. No he need to heal, to show them that he was the strong one. That he could fix everything, fix his mistakes, be the better man. Not this ugly monstrosity he had become in the last year. To do that he needed the Refuge. Garrett's ghostly form wrapped his arms around Oz and rested his head on his shoulder, not saying a word but smiling.
"You okay Oz?!" Weiss asked from the otherside of the door.
"Yes, one moment!" He washed himself quickly not even noticing Garrett come or go. "Alright Weiss." Ozpin called out and Weiss pulled off her top as she headed into the bathroom.
Ozpin was standing with his back to the door. Weiss pushed the curtain aside and reached up grabbing the shower head. "Think you can sit?"
"Yeah." He carefully using a hand bar he lowered himself into the bathtub. Weiss sat on the lip and handed him the shower head as she scanned over the products. "The pine shampoo yours?"
"Yes." Ozpin said, not looking at her.
Weiss set about washing Oz's hair, it had grown almost as long as it had been at Beacon. He was oddly quiet. "Have your pain meds kicked in yet?"
"Mostly, it's manageable now."
Weiss finished quickly and let him to do another rinse, stepping out of the bathroom. Only when he called out to her again, did she return. She found him sitting on the closed toilet, with a towel wrapped around his hips, holding a straight razor out to her. "Think you can do it?"
"Yes, James let me do his." She glanced around and found his cream had also been put out. She made a sink of warm water then sprayed a handful of the foam into her palm.
Oz saw her eyes flit to his scars but schooled his features and lifted his chin as she rubbed it over his jaw and cheeks, carefully putting it over his lips and chin. She damped the razer in the water. "I'm surprised Lydia didn't do this for you."
"She did once, but it grows fast. I like to shave it every morning." Ozpin said as Weiss started to carefully do his cheeks.
"That's a shame, it looks quite handsome on you." Weiss said, cleaning the razer and returning to his skin. "You'd look good with a goatee, maybe one like from those comics Yang likes to read."
"You are not giving me a Tony Stark beard." Ozpin said moving his jaw as little as possible. "It would be a pain in the ass to maintain. Just take it all off."
"Well be fair Ozpin, you are not going to be the one maintaining it. So you have to put up with me having my fun. Or… I could let Nora do it." Weiss said turning his head to the other side to do it as well.
"That won't be necessary! Fine have your fun."
When they got to dinner, Yang took a picture of his beard before he could say a word on the matter. Weiss had done an excellent job and Ozpin would later learn she had played this styling game with James as well.
Dinner was… excruciating. Ren, Nora, Yang and Weiss all looking after him in tune. Getting him a drink when he moved to get it, the food appeared on his plate already cut. Everyone was painfully cheerful. Raven watched him, as if she could see the thoughts turning in his head.
He was grateful when he was allowed to go to bed alone. He pointedly didn't invite Weiss, Ozpin sat on the edge of his bed, belt already around his arm again. The tall man stared down that the needle and vial in the drawer. No, I shouldn't be doing this! He closed the drawer with a snap and reached for the belt.
Garrett materialized behind him and touched the surgery sites. Oz's sucked in a sharp pained breath, how the figment in his mind could cause him pain he didn't know. Garrett's hands slid over his arms, making him feel every welt and scar. They opened the drawer again and pulled out the needle and Refuge. Ozpin was barely aware of it as his hands readied the needle and filled it with another ten milliliters of the drug.
Again Garrett guided the needle to the vein, again the purple vanished into him. He pulled the belt off and groaned as his heart pushed the substance through his body. He quickly capped the needle and hid it and the drug. Before flopping back into bed, his Aura boosted as his mind took a trip through la la land.
Garrett all the while laying beside him, petting through that void black hair with a smile on his lips.
"I take it back, I don't want to learn!" Ruby's voice was terrified.
"Calm down. Would you like me to come up there with you?" Qrow asked, he pet Goldy's neck his childhood friend was putting up some amazing patience with the situation.
"Can't I have a saddle and reins or something?" Ruby asked grabbing Goldy's mane.
"Bareback is the best way to learn. Especially with how Goldy was trained. Because think about it, how are you supposed to shout orders with your mouth full of reins?" Qrow asked trying to distract her.
"But he's too big for me. I can barely grip with my legs." Ruby shifted around a tiny put on Talent's board back.
"Well I can't fault you there. We'll just start with a walk." Qrow said. "I'll be right here the whole time I won't let you fall."
"Okay, I just feel like I'm going to fall and smash my head open." Ruby said.
"Then keep your Aura up."
"That's not the point!"
Qrow sighed and click his tongue. "Nice and slow Goldy."
They made a slow circuit of the snow dusted clearing, the forest pressed in all around them as the dusk light slowly faded. They rode hard for the first three days, eating up ground so they could slow and give Ruby a chance to learn. Hawk was sitting by their fire sipping a cup of malik, watching them take a slow walk. Their makeshift camp for the night was already set up.
"See, not so bad." Qrow pat her leg. "Now try sitting up straight."
Ruby had been holding Goldy's mane tight and almost hugging him. She pushed herself slowly upright and adjusted her hands. "Now squeeze just a little with your legs." Ruby did and Qrow clicked his tongue again.
Again Goldy started the circuit, when he was sure Ruby wasn't look Qrow lowered his hand and just walked beside them. "Tap with your right heel when you want him to go left and your left when you want him to go right. Hold tighter for faster and sit down heavily for him to stop. At faster speeds raise yourself just a couple centimeters off his back. Otherwise your butt with be sore something fierce. Keep your back straight, give it a try." Qrow took several steps back.
"Where are you going?!" Ruby shrieked sitting up straighter, partly out of fear.
"I trust Goldy, you'll be fine. Tight with your legs, don't forget." Qrow said and whistled.
Goldy moved into a canter. Ruby tightened her knees and lifted herself up but Goldy kept his pace smooth and steady. He knew what Qrow wanted.
Around and around, they went Goldy occasionally side stepping if Ruby slid one way or the other to much. He kept her firmly on his back, she started to laugh and giggle in return.
Qrow watched as Goldy's ears kept flicking back to his lover. They are going to be best friends. Hawk walked over to stand beside her son. "She's a quick learner."
"She is with just about everything. A goofball, but a brilliant one." Qrow whistled again.
Goldy moved into a canter and Ruby giggled with glee, raising herself a bit higher. Qrow found that Ruby's smile was radiant, her shining hair catching the dying light.
"She's been adapting well to the tribe." Hawk said. "Even seems happy."
"What are you getting at?" Qrow didn't look to her.
"Have you thought at all about your future? We've hidden from Salem for over a decade and this is the first time she come remotely close. I know you don't like how we live, but there are other jobs. Especially if Raven gets us some territory in Mistral. You could have a life here again, safe with her. Without Salem to worry about." Hawk said.
"I know you. You're not even lying but I will never be one of you. Never again, I'll stand by Oz and so will Ruby." Qrow walked away and called out. "That's enough it's getting dark and we have to be up with the sun."
Goldy slowed to a walk, coming around to him and shoved his nose in Qrow's belly. Qrow chuckled and pet Goldy's cheek. "Thank you for looking after her." He walked over and stretched up to Ruby, she slid down into his arms and he lowered her to the ground.
"That was fun." Ruby said and then yawned. "But you are so right, sleep time."
The three of them retired without another word and the night passed without incident. Only for Ruby to be racing out of the tent at dawn to vomit into the bushes again. Only this time when Qrow went to her, he saw Hawk had also gotten up and was watching with a smug smile.
Raven and Vernal headed down into one of the underground cities of Mistral. Now this was where the fun was, black markets stores and hired killers were plentiful. Thugs and small fish gangs filled the shady bars full. These were the people who either don't want to live on the right side of the law or are too poor to live anywhere else and had little choice but to gather in these sectors. There were countless beggars and prostitutes at every corner, some of the women had barely anything on and some stood around in the cold night in not much more then underwear covering their drugged up bodies as they stood against the poorly made walls. All of them itching to entice potential buyers with a fondle of their breasts. Some would be lucky enough to see pay in the morning, others . . . well most of them starved for another day.
The two bandits were on the trail of a pair of Liyr tribesmen as they moved ahead of them in the crowd. After the ambush the week before Raven had decided that a smaller team should do the recon while the others and Ozpin's brats had other duties to see to.
They passed a gambling table that sat outside one of the bars, it was filled with cards and jewels but neither pay any attention to the sparkling stones, eyes sharp and intent on following their targets. Their plan was to follow to the tribes mens to their destination and map out all the potential entry points so later they can destroy the small group. Taking the base apart one man at a time.
Both Raven and Vernal wore long cloaks hiding their tribe clothes as the people they followed finally stopped at one of the many whore houses. This house of pleasure was taller then most of the others in this lower section of Mistral, with dirty off white whites, plastered with not so unfamiliar stains climbing the outside. Small windows sat in near perfect lineup, some of the rooms had a glowing amber light glowing its residency while others remained darkened and shut tight.
Raven and her companion wanted a few minutes, then slipped in a low window. The corridor is narrow, sickly red wallpaper peeling away, carpet that was probably clean at one point now frayed away in brown patches and Raven eyed up the stains. One section of the wall suddenly moved, like someone had been slammed against it. The sounds of moans and slapping wet skin were loud and the two carry on.
Finally coming around to the room they saw the two men enter Raven knelt on the dirty floor and peeked through the keyhole. Unfortunately what they had expected was not what they got. Dozens of men and women piled in the room, all arguing and angry looking. As they started towards the door Raven eyed the room opposite and silently pulled Vernal inside just in time for the other door to slam open and the horde stumbled out in a angry pack.
It seemed like the greatest misfortune was following them tonight as the room they slipped into already had occupants in it and as the two turned they come face to face with Cinder, Emerald, Mercury and Watts.
Oh shit!
Everyone had their weapons out and was pointing at each other a instant later. Watts looked between Raven and Vernal. "My my what a surprise we were just looking for you. Well more the heads of your tribe but we'll take what we can get."
"What are you doing here?" Cinder asked with pursed lips. This certainly wasn't what they had been expecting of tonight but she was damned if Raven Branwen was escaping unscathed.
"Could ask you the same thing." Raven countered keeping her voice even and her face calm.
"Please, lets be civil about this." Watts said. "What do you want Raven?"
"To make over my tribe." Raven said, already weighing the situation in her mind. "Why were you looking for us?"
"We need the Spring Maiden to get into the vault below Haven. You tribe has her." Cinder said sneering as if it was the obvious reason.
Raven and Vernal shared a long look. "Let's make a deal then. You help me take over the tribe. I'll help you with the Vault of the Spring Maiden."
"Deal."
Shots echoed through the temple, the statues to Afrein goddess of; inspiration, community, family, sex and architecture were everywhere and getting shot full of holes. Ozpin rolled his eyes, seriously couldn't these guys aim? He peaked around the corner, they had Raven pinned and Yang wasn't doing much better. He took a deep breath then stepped out form cover just enough to aim and shoot.
BANG BANG BANG.
Bodies toppled over and Raven leapt up and pushed the advantage. They had gone over the plan back at home, but this was just madness. "Did you actually scout this place at all?" Oz shouted at Raven.
"It was your intel!" Raven dived to take cover under a column as more tribesmen flooded the area.
"Clearly it was off!" Ozpin looked over his teams. "Jaune, cover Yang and Nora. The two of you fire for the arches, bring the north east and west walkways down!" As the three moved he stepped out of cover and continued shooting, the kick of his rifle made his still tender chest hurt. That said his rifle was horrendously overkill, not a single Aura so far had stood a chance.
Jaune took the brunt of the bullets as Yang and Nora shot either arch to bits, the raining debris falling on some very unlucky souls. Still it was several dozen Aura equipped bandits against a handful of them. Raven retreated slicing bullets apart, she hid behind a downed statue. "This is getting us nowhere! Just use your Semblance and clean this mess up!"
"NO! He's still not fully healed!" Weiss snapped and summoned up four white glyphs behind her and spun to the Fire Dust on her sword, she snapped her first forward and fire rained down on the bandits.
"Don't use your Semblance, if any of them escape it will be over all the city that you're here!"Ozpin snapped out, firing another collection of shots, he hated watching heads explode.
He scanned the room bandits were climbing over the rubble Yang and Nora had reacted. He sighed and collapsed his gun and pulled out his sword.
"OZ!" Weiss yelled.
He closed his eyes and activated his Semblance. He opened them slowly and everyone appeared frozen in time, Weiss was moving to stand worry and anger on her face. He stepped out from cover and ran down the hall past Raven. He cut and clashed his way through half of the bandits, their dead bodies hanging in the air. He drove behind the throne at the end of the hall.
Time snapped back into motion, blood soared through the air. Bodies fell with thuds, Raven didn't even pause racing into the fray while the bandits were too stunned to react watching their friends fall to what seemed to be nothing at all.
Ozpin sagged against the throne his chest ached, he pulled his shirt open and looked down at one of the sites, the bandages had been removed but the scabs cracked and was oozing blood again. "Fuck." He hissed under his breath, Gods it hurt. He pressed down on one and bit his lip to keep from screaming.
The teams and Vernal pushed forward, the former motivated by Oz now being behind the enemy.
It was quick after that, Raven called the Branwen's in and they started cleaning up the mess. Ozpin sat on the steps before the throne, his shirt off as Ren patched him up again with Weiss's help.
"What happened to not pushing yourself?" Weiss said holding bandages for Ren. "You promised to behave when we let you come with."
"Things weren't exactly going our way Weiss. Ow." Oz hissed as Ren fixed a new bandage over the bleeding wound.
"And now you're bleeding again. What is your Aura level even at?" Weiss said moving out of Ren's away as he moved to the other bleeding sight.
Ozpin looked away from her, at the ground.
"You're out?! You're joking!" Weiss threw her hands up. "Gods Oz!"
"It's not like having a veritable cocktail of drugs in my system is good for the Aura!" Ozpin said and pressed the new bandage Ren was applying down as he tapped it in place.
"Well if you weren't so reliant on your Aura you wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. If someone had shot your head you'd be dead right now!" Weiss said her voice raising. "I can't believe you."
Ozpin stood grabbing his shirt and walking down the steps. "Given that I'm immortal, that I can die over and over and still come back I fail to see what the big deal is."
"That doesn't give you the freedom to be stupid! And stubborn!" Weiss chased after him as he moved down the steps.
Ozpin rounded on her. "What do you CARE!?" He snarled stunning everyone there.
Weiss's eyes went wide in shock and she took a step back.
Oz pressed a hand to his head, he had a throbbing headache. He took a deep breath. "Look. I'm sorry Weiss, I know you only want to help I'm just…" He rubbed a hand over his face. "I need to go for a walk." He stormed away climbing up over the rumble, his sides bleeding but he ignored the pain.
The white walls of the temple, and beautiful paintings went on ignored. Oz shoved his hands into his pockets and hunched over like a particular bird he missed. Sadly his privacy was not to be.
"Well you handled that well." Garrett appeared a few steps down the hall, petting over the marble boob of a statue.
"Shove off." Ozpin grumbled, rolling up his sleeve and pulling his belt off then pulling it tight around his bicep. He sat down on the cold ground.
"Ohh I'm so hurt!" Garrett dramatically put a hand on his chest. "You must be out of sorts if you can't even a muster a 'Fuck off'."
"If there is a point to this visit could you get around to it?" Ozpin said reaching into his pocket and pulled out his needle and a vial of Refuge. He didn't want to know how much Lien he had been burning on the stuff in the last few weeks.
Garrett stepped into his way with a flamboyant billow of trench coat. "Wow something really is eating you. Missing your little fuck buddies? I know I am."
Ozpin filled the needle with twenty milliliters. "Now is really not the time to be pushing me." He capped the vial and spun the needle in his hand aiming. He tried not to think about how good he had gotten at his, Garrett didn't have to help him anymore.
"You better stop reacting so much, next thing you know Raven will see and think you've gone mad." Garrett reappear in a doorway.
The tall man had to agree with the other soul, he pushed the needle into his vein and quickly pushed the plunger down. He ripped his belt off his arm and let out a long sigh, rubbing the needle site. "Ohhh." He let his head rest against the wall, the pain dwindled as his Aura returned at the shot of spirit residue pumping through his body. "Hmm." He purred and closed his eyes. He had been getting less and less of an high, it was still taking so long to heal him. So he upped the dose, it wasn't knocking him flat anymore but still felt good.
Eventually Ozpin capped the needle again, put it away and looked up at Garrett. "Again, why are you here?" He asked putting his belt back on.
"Cause you're the lucky sod that doesn't hear the Eye whispering in your ear all the time. I don't have that luxury," He stepped out of the doorway, and gestured to it. "So let's go find the Crown and link it up with the other two so the Eye will shut up."
"Fine." Ozpin heaved himself off the ground and followed the thief's directions.
Garrett hid his smirk, since he got Oz hooked on Refuge the man had been easier and easier to control. He rarely fought his suggestions anymore, he could even take over sometimes when Oz was asleep. Though he didn't dare do anything other then extend his senses and figure out what Glyphs were still active in the city. If he got up and did anything, he knew Oz would notice.
Still amazingly as they traveled they didn't come upon anymore bandits, the halls turned into tunnels, smaller and smaller till Oz was forced to shimmy through a crevice. "How do you know where we are going?"
"The plans we read at Haven, just because you didn't understand them doesn't mean I couldn't." Garrett said awaiting him at the opening. "More importantly, I could see where they had been altered with magic. For how thorough the person who broke them apart hid the clues to where he cut it. He could have been a bit more creative at hiding them. I mean the Crown by the Relic of Knowledge? Now that's just uninspired."
Ozpin focused himself out of the crevasse. "Well at least someone here finds squeezing through a maze of fissures amusing."
"Just think, at least they aren't full of zombies. I've done that." Garrett walked to the far wall and started touching along it. "Here, put your left hand on it."
Oz just rolled his eyes and did as he was told, he was amazed he could see anything at all. As soon as his armoured hand touched the wall it swung inward. He was instantly assaulted with one of the most patronizing voices he had never heard. Given that he had the Eye in his head before that was really saying something.
"About time Keeper! Where have you been!? Slacking in your duties, typical human!"
Ozpin rubbed his temples. "I'm gonna pretend I heard none of that."
"Agreed. I never liked this one. Let's just get this over with and seal it back up." Garrett said. "If you'll allow me."
Ozpin let Garrett drive, he picked up the golden crown, jewels that appeared to be made out of light shown in it. He cradled it to his chest, he could feel his key Glyph blazing in his left hand. His eyes closed as the Eye's voice sounded in his head. "Crown you are found! We must speak of what you have learned! What do you remember?"
"Cold, always cold. A great beast bellowing." The Crown said. "Nothing more, I have searched but I can not see!"
"We have sight and touch, now we have you. The Heart and Chalice are still lost, we can not feel nor build." The Eye said.
"Baaa this is your fault, without a host you go blind too often! We haven't had a proper Keeper in centuries! He keeps dying and forgetting his duty."
Garrett quickly put the Crown on the alter, it's voice thankfully departed from his head. Ozpin assumed control. "Garrett, what was that about?"
"The Five Sentients need each other to function. The Crown is going to blame the Eye as usual. They have a bit of an ongoing feud." Garrett heading out of the room.
Ozpin followed on his heels and grabbed Garrett's shoulder stopping him. "No that bit, the part about the Keeper keeping on dying and forgetting. I remember that memory fighting the dragon but I wasn't myself."
Garrett stepped away, "Have fun finding your way out." he vanished.
"Garrett! Damn it!" Ozpin looked around and sighed. "Stupid self centered thief!"
Ruby stared wide eyed as they came upon the Mabino fortress. The guns along the walls were on the city caliber of just plain huge, snow clung to the walls and mountain. It was built into the side of the mountain, she could see Atlas warships and Atlassian Knights paroling the air and walls. "You weren't kidding when you said the Mabino was the biggest and the baddest."
"Nope." Qrow pulled up her hood. "They have the skills, tech and manpower to regularly raid Atlas transports." He twisted in the saddle and grabbed a black leather hat that his father had packed on Goldy for him. "Best we don't do or say much while here. I have killed a rather lot of Mabino men working for James, protecting the shipments. Don't expect a warm welcome and stick close to me, I'd be surprised if some stupid idiots don't try and get revenge."
"You worry too much. You are a legend in your own right. They would not dare challenge you." Hawk said.
Qrow snorted, pulling his hat down lower as they came to the gates. Massive turrets looming, they weren't alone. Groups of all sizes were making their way inward. "Yeah I'm not going to count on that."
Sure enough as they came to the gates they were stopped by a guard. "State your names and purpose."
"Hawk Branwen of the Branwen Tribe, here to deliver tribute to Xaio Roi. This is Ruby Rose and her partner my son Qrow Branwen." Hawk gestured to them.
Guns appeared in the hands of everyone who heard her with a cacophony of clicking, all pointed at Qrow. He raised his hands in surrender and muttered. "Told you this was a bad idea mother." To everyone else he raised his voice and said. "Relax, I'm here on tribe business. You leave me alone and I'll leave you alone and we'll all get through this with all of our limbs attached."
The guard took a few cautious steps towards Qrow, still pointing his rifle at him. "You will both be escorted straight to Xaio Roi. Make any move to your weapons and you will be shot."
"They really don't like you."
"As I said, I've killed a lot of them."
"Let us go then, I have better things to do then waste my time on you." Hawk said.
The guard lowered his weapon and nodded to a few others, they formed up around the Branwens. Ruby watched as people stared at Qrow, mother's shielding their children or pointing at him and whispering. Qrow's hand slid around to hold her by the middle of her hips, he was also scanning the growing crowds lining the paved streets. Hawk was thriving, this was what she wanted, let everyone see she had her son back and know how dangerous that could be.
They came to the great hall and dismounted, Qrow and Hawk grabbing the saddle bags filled with Lien while Ruby did her best to hide in Qrow's shadow.
"Please don't bite anyone's fingers." Qrow said to Goldy, patting the horse's neck.
"This way please, your saddle bags will be brought to you." The same guard as before said.
Two other opened massive steel and wood doors, they could hear a chain pulley system working on the other side. Within was a hall even bigger then Beacon's cafeteria. Pillars lined it with a heavy carpet leading down to a through, great tables on either side stuffed with food at this late hour. Ruby looked up to the throne a man in his forties sat looking down at them. His features were hawkish and his hair a curly black. Upon his lap was a woman no older then Ruby and heavily pregnant. Four other woman, not one older than thirty and near all pregnant clustered around him. The oldest sitting in a throne beside him, all were dressed in finery of an Atlassian style.
Xaio Roi clapped his hands slowly as Hawk, Qrow and Ruby walked down the middle of the hall. "What a way to make an entrance Hawk. No guards, just your son . Quite the statement."
Hawk pulled her saddle bags of Lien off her shoulders, Qrow followed suit handing her his. "We have only come to pay tribute."
Ruby jumped as the great doors closed with a bang.
Xaio Roi waved a hand lazily and a steward took the bags from Hawk. He tapped the pregnant girl in his lap on her behind, she obediently hopped off his lap and sat leaning on his throne. He leaned forward and pointed at Ruby. "Who's that? She lovely."
Qrow bared his teeth and moved to further shield Ruby. "Not available."
Xaio Roi laughed, a deep bellowing thing. "Every woman is available. You've killed enough of my slave traders to understand that I think?"
Qrow's hand went to Harbinger, guns followed a instant later.
Ruby grabbed his arm. "Leave it!"
Her partner reluctantly let his sword go. The guns returned to holsters, but no one breathed any easier.
Hawk spoke. "That's Ruby Rose, partner to my son. I'd recommend leaving her be, I will not be held responsible for whatever happens to whoever is dumb enough to threaten her."
"Hmm agreed. I rather not have Qrow ripping my stronghold apart. Still eat with us and stay the night, you're horses must rest and you as well. I trust you both can inhere to Guest Rights."
"Of course." Hawk said, already eyeing the tables for a clear spot for them.
"Enjoy, your Lien will be counted and I will have rooms set aside for you. I can't have the leader of a major tribe sleeping with the common ramble." Xaio Roi said as one of his wives brought him a glass of wine.
Hawk picked out a place for them and Ruby stuck to Qrow's side like glue. She did not like the leers many of the men were giving her. As they sat Qrow wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her tight to him. Ruby could feel his Semblance, twisting and turning. A bench on the table were one particularly fat leering man sat abruptly broke. A serving girl tripped on the run sending wine flying and they could all hear the shouts from the kitchen indicating something had caught on fire.
Ruby giggled as Qrow smiled, taking a drink of wine to hide it. Even Hawk looked amused by what Qrow was doing, one could never say he didn't get the last word in. Ruby looked at the tables of food and felt queasy.
"Not going to eat?" Qrow asked gathering a few bread rolls and pieces of chicken for himself.
"No, I'm not really feeling well."
"Nervous?"
"Yeah and this stuff is making my stomach turn."
Qrow frowned at that, Ruby liked everything on the tables. His mind was already turning back to the past few weeks traveling, her sickness in the morning was increasing in frequency, now she wasn't eating and her withdrawal bleed. . . he did keep extremely close track of it and knew it was near a week late. "When we are alone we should talk."
Ruby didn't respond, she could guess what he was thinking but she knew it wasn't possible. Her birth control hadn't failed them the whole time they had been together. There was no reason that it suddenly would. They had just been traveling a lot, she was stressed out. There was no way she was pregnant.
Hawk watched them but didn't speak, she did see that Ruby looked a bit sickly. After the meal a steward showed them to their rooms, next to each other. They were fine but on the smaller side, at least Qrow and Ruby's, they didn't see Hawks. A quick check through their saddlebags found that nothing was missing.
Qrow watched Ruby as she undressed, she didn't look any different maybe a bit thinner. Given how sick she had become that was logical, he approached her as she looked into a full mirror. He traced a hand over her stomach, he had no idea how to start this conversation. "Ruby, I know you really don't want to think about it. But first morning sickness, now nausea and you are a week late for your withdrawal. Maybe you should take a test? We have the rose, we can talk to Oz, get him to get Raven to send us a portal. If you just ignore it, it will only get harder to deal with."
Ruby stepped away from him crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm not pregnant. We've just been traveling, and I've stressing out and all new foods. I took my birth control, I'm not pregnant. It doesn't make any sense that it would suddenly fail."
"Rubes, nothing is a hundred percent and with my Semblance we have to consider the possibility. Neither of us want a child right now, we have to get on top of this." Qrow stepped towards her.
"I'm not pregnant." She turned away from him and crawled into bed.
Qrow sighed and knew he wouldn't get another word out of her tonight. He walked over to her bag and pulled out the rose, they had been keeping it hidden at the tribe and out of sight from Hawk on the way here. He sat on the edge of the bed facing away from Ruby. "Oz, I need your help."
The response was slow to come and it seemed almost diluted. "Yes Qrow?"
"You can keep this from Ruby right."
"Of course, I'm not inept."
Qrow blinked in surprise, that didn't sound like regular Oz and emotions kept flitting over the connection. "Are you high?" Qrow asked his mental voice coloured with disbelief.
"No, what gives you that idea?"
"You feel off."
"You are mistaken." With those words the extra feeling from Oz vanished, only Qrow now knew it was being shielded on purpose. "What is the problem?"
"I think Ruby may be pregnant. She's been vomiting in the morning for a couple weeks now, today she skipped dinner and her withdrawal bleed is late."
"Well she has been under stress, not to mention a great deal changing all at once. Her bleed could just be late and it's not uncommon for a woman to fast on it."
"She's never done that before."
"Hmm, I still find it unlikely that she is pregnant. I know she is very careful to make sure her birth control doesn't expire and it does work very well."
"My problem is she's in denial, she doesn't even want to take a test. I know that's always been a problem with her. You fuck, I drink, she compartmenises and goes into denial."
"I don't know how I can help Qrow. We're on different halves of the continent."
Qrow thought Oz sounded a bit bitter about that. "How are things going with Raven?"
"Slowly, we have one more target out of the city that she wants to use as a staging ground for the tribe. Only with Grimm levels so high we are going to have to spend a few weeks thinning them before we can go after the town."
"So Ruby and I will be stuck here for a while longer."
"I'm afraid so. I need to sleep. Give Ruby a kiss for me." Ozpin sent his love and then faded from the connection.
Something is definitely wrong with him. Qrow mused and set the rose on the bedside table, he slipped into bed and spooned himself around Ruby, giving her cheek a kiss. "Oz says we'll be here for a while longer. Goodnight love."
